Making Skid Steers Better

This entry was posted on September 26, 2014 by Dean Janssen.

Skid steers are already great pieces of equipment. There is so much they can do despite their small size. However, people want more improvement in what they can do. There are already many attachments that can change the function of a skid steer. You can make a skid steer cut trees, dig soil, remove rocks, carry heavy objects, and more. Nevertheless, there are still so many improvements that can be given to this amazing equipment.

Michelin has thought of an upgrade which can make skid steers better. They designed a Tweel, which is basically a tire and wheel assembly which doesn’t need air. According to their ad, with Tweels, there will be no more maintenance, compromises, or downtime, at least for the wheel part. Let’s face it; it is hard to change a skid steer’s wheel. They are heavy, which makes removing and replacing the wheel time consuming and arduous . With Tweels, the driver won’t have to worry about any pointed objects that can damage their wheels. Since Tweels do not use air it will not have the problems that operators have when using regular tires. This product from Michelin is available tofit any skid steer size. Of course, this product is useless if the skid steer uses treads instead of wheels.

The recent models from JCB have also raised the bar on skid steers. Safety was one of the foremost concerns of people when using skid steers, as both operators and spectators have been injusred in skid steer accidents. Some operators are having a hard time getting in and out of a skid steer, while people around can be hit by a skid steer because they were not seen by the operator. The JCB skid steers are said to have addressed these concerns. Among the added features of the new models, is a safer entry and exit point, and more visibility inside the cockpit. The JCB skid steers boast many more safety features as well.

These are just two examples of some recent efforts to make skid steers a lot better than they are. Who knows, we might see more improvements in the future, which will allow the skid steers to do even more.